All 4 St. Augustine fires ruled arson

Local, state and federal investigators are trying to solve a series of arsons in St. Augustine. As they try to track down a fire-bug, businesses in the area are trying to move forward.

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -

All four fires to historic buildings in St. Augustine have now been ruled arson by investigators, and many in the neighborhood are feeling anxious as whoever set the fires remains at large.

The fires happened early Monday morning in a three-hour span.

Surveillance video released by authorities shows a man in the upper right corner, close to the area on Cordova Street, where investigators said two buildings were intentionally set on fire. Less than a mile away, a home on Saragossa Street also went up in flames, and a house on Park Place burned to the ground. The Park Place home was the last to be declared arson.

The homeowner there said there was water damage and windows were broken.

No one was injured in the fires. The St. Augustine Fire Marshal said the Cordova Street fires were set by lighting plastic on fire and using leaves.

State and local fire marshals, police and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating. Mark Samson, spokesman for the St. Augustine Police Department, said the agencies are working through leads from interviews.

One historic building on Cordova Street was being renovated, and repairs after the fire continued Tuesday.

The Cordova Street fires are impacting at least one local business, The Chocolate Turtle, which is next to the historic building where the first fire was set.

"The top of the roof is charred a little bit on the sides," said Ryan Marcum, a supervisor at The Chocolate Turtle, which has been open for two months. "The window is busted."

The day after the fire, the sweets shop gave firefighters coffee, cold drinks and a place to cool off.

"We've had people who've come in today say they saw us on the news (and) wanted to help us out," Marcum said. "(They) thought it was really cool that we were helping the community, even though we were still impacted."

Marcum said the owners have insurance, and they're worried that whoever set the fires could do it again.

"It does make us really scared," Marcum said. "There is a couch upstairs, and I've even thought of sleeping on the couch some nights just to make sure there's nothing going to happen."

Several neighbors close to the fires said there's already a good police presence in the area. So the fact that an arsonist would feel confident enough to start a fire really baffles them.

"I don't know if the person was scanning the neighborhoods or what they were doing,” said Vicki Sargent, a nearby resident. “So that does worry me."

Carol Lopez-Bradshaw is a key holder to the home on Saragossa Street (pictured below) that officials said was burned by an arsonist. She said she's been in contact with the homeowners, who live there part time, and said they're shaken up but they're glad no one was hurt.

"They were very pleased at the way it was handled," Lopez-Bradshaw said. "They were pleased that, you know, nobody -- the house was in good shape."

Other than some damage to the side of the building, the only visible sign of a major fire was a burned couch cushion on the front lawn.

Lopez-Bradshaw said one of her neighbors, who was walking a dog, was the one who called firefighters.

"They saw the flames coming out from underneath the house,” she said. “They called the fire department. If it had been 30 minutes later, it would have been a whole different ballgame."

Lopez-Bradshaw said her background is in fire prevention with the county, and she said she was given the task of opening the home's windows once the fire was put out.

She said she understands the concern some of her neighbors were feeling Monday night.

"We have quite a few people who live around here all the time around the block,” Lopez-Bradshaw said. “So we know who comes and goes. But whoever it was is a person who, they get a thrill out of seeing a fire."

St. Augustine Fire Marshal Capt. Bob Growick said he understands the concern many are feeling in the area. Without going into specifics, he wants neighbors to know that the police and city leaders are keeping an eye out.

"They're going to be out here, and they're going to be doing some things to help the community,” Growick said. “We want them to understand, the citizens who live here, plus the people who come here that we serve, we want them to know they're still safe in this city."

Neighbors said they are being careful. Growick said people need to pay attention to who is in their neighborhoods. They need to keep an eye on people they don't recognize, and if they see something they don't like, they need to call police right away.

In the meantime, authorities hope someone knows the identity of the man seen on surveillance footage.

"We just want to ask him some questions,” Growick said. “Maybe he can give us some answers to help us with the investigation."

Anyone with any information about the fires is asked to call 877-NO-ARSON (662-7766) or Crime Stoppers at 888-277-8477. Callers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for a cash reward.

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